SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1923
T11' M CHGAN DATLY
rAGE FINZ
1
i
1
1
1
Iin
Edited By Scogan
FABUOUS
"The Christian msythologists, after having confined Satan in a pit, were
obliged to let hin out again, to bring on the sequel of the fable. He is then
introduced into the Garden of Eden in the shape of a snake or a serpent,
and in that shape he enters into familiar conversation with Eve, who is no
way surprised to hear a snake talk; and the issue of the tete-a-tete is, that
be persuades her to eat an apple, and the eating of that apple damns all
mankind.q
"After having given Satan this triumph over the whole of creation, one
would have supposed that the church mythologists would have been kind
enough to send him back again to the pit; or if they had not done this,
that they would have put a mountnain upon him (for they say that their
faith can move a mountain), or have put him under a mountain, as the
former mythologists had done, to prevnt his getting again among the
women, and doing more mischief. But instead of this, they leave him at
large, without even obliging him to give his parole-the secret of which is,
tha) they could not do without hinm; and after being at the trouble of making
him, they bribed him to stay. They promised him ALL the Jews, ALL, the
Turks by anticipation, nine-tenths the world besides, and Mohamet into
the bargain. After this, who can doubt the bountifulness of the Christian
Mythology?
"Having thus made an insufrection and a battle in Heaven, in which
none of the combatants could be either killed or wounded-put Satan into
the pit-let him out again-given him a triumph over the whole creation-
damned all mankind -by the eating of an apple, these Christian mythologists
bring the two ends of their fable together. They represent this virtuous
and 'amiable man, Jesus Christ to be at .once both God and Man, also the
Sonn of God, celestially begotten, on purpose to be sacrificed, because they
say that Eve, in her longing, had eaten an apple.
"Putting aside everything that might excite laughter by its absurdity,
or detestation by its profaneness, and confining ourselves merely to an
examination of the parts, it is impossible to conceive a story more derog-
atory to the Almighty, more inconsistent with his wisdom, more cnrtra-
dictory to his power, than this story is."
"That many good men hive believed this fable, and ived very good livesi
under that belief (for credulity is not a crime), is what I have no deubt'
of. In the first place they were educated to believe it, and they would have
believed anything else in the same manner. There are also many who have
been so enthusiastically enraptured by what they conceived to be the infinite
love of God for man, in making a sacrifice of himself, that the vehemenceI
of the idea has forbidden and deterred thens from examining into the ab-
surdity and profaneness of the story. The more unnatural anything i, the
more it is capable of becoming the object of dismal admiration,"
"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the vluptuous debaucheries,,
the scruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with
which more than halt the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we
called it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of
wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind, and, for my
own part, I sincerely detest it as I detest everything that is cruel."
"I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the
onan church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by
eny church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church."
P4M "The Age of Reason" by Thomas Paine.
Note: The Age of ReaSon 'was written in about 1794. In this Thomas
Paine was far ahead of his times, in fact, his beliefs are still far from uni-
versally accepted; but his time is still ahead. The churches (Jewish, Turk-
ish and Christian) become anaemic and infested'with vaudeville and popular
lecture bacilli.
Scogan.
OUR GETTYSBURG
Seven score and nine days ago our editors brought forth in this sheet
a new column, conceived in literature and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are in need of constant intellectual stimulus. Now we are engaged
in a Dioginesian search for contributing editors, wondering whether that
column so conceived and so dedicated will long endure. We have come to
a crucial moment in that search. We (editorially speaking) have arrived
at that position in one's life when it is necessary to go out fnrom these
people who give their lives that, intellectually, we might live.. It is al-
together fitting and proper that we do this. But in another sense we cannot
forget, we cannot leave, we cannot abandon this column. The literary men,
living and dead, whom we have quoted here, have endeared it to us far above
our power to leave and abandon. The world will little note, nor long'
remember what we have said here, but it can never forget some whom
are quoted here. It is for us, the initiated, rather to be all absorbed in the
great task remaining before us, that from these worth-while men we take
increased stimulus to that cause of making others nause and think. that
we here highly resolve that these men shall not have written in vain;
that this column under its new editor (whomsoever he shall be) shall have
a new birth of contributors so that this column of literary stimulation, by
writers of literature, and for lovers of literature shall not perish from
The Magazine.
-Scogan.
Wha2t A boiut Thi
Cive?
OU as a potential patron of this big clean-
ing establishment should know just what
we mean when we speak of our service.
If you are one of the hundreds whose work we do,
this ad. is unnecessary for you. You know we are
prompt, reliable and good workmen. If you are
not you will read with interest what we have to say.
Service, as we render it, means that you can call us
in the morning, we'll call for your suit, press it care-
fully, and return it to you by noon. Just put the
hour you want your suit on the ticket and you'll
have it at that time.
It means if you request it that we'll call for your
suit before 9:30 in the morning and deliver it to you
before dinner, CLEANED AND PRESSED.
Or we'll call for it in the afternoon and deliver it to
you the following day.
It means that we will make such repairs in your,
clothing as you desire, and charge you only a
nominal price for it.
In, our laundry department SERVICE means that
you can send us your laundry before 9:30 in the
morning and get it back, fresh and clean before din-
ner (for this special service we charge a small ad-
ditional sum). if you are not in as great a hurry
you can send it to us one day and receive it the
following day at no extra cost.
It means that we will mend your clothes and make
minor repairs in them and not charge you for it,
such as sewing on buttons and darning hosiery.
A fleet of trucks are on the road continually calling
for and delivering your work, cutting down the time
consumed in getting your work out to a maximum.
Send us your work tomorrow. Learn that what we
claim we prove.
Phone 165
hite Swan Laundry
Detroit and Catherine Streets
I